


Pride is Something Learned

by brokenpromisesandhope



Category: IT - Stephen King
Genre: First Kiss, Gay Pride, Lost Love, M/M, Pining, Swearing, Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-02
Updated: 2020-01-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:09:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22076725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brokenpromisesandhope/pseuds/brokenpromisesandhope
Summary: Eddie and Richie were supposed to go to Pride together until IT happens.
Relationships: Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier
Comments: 1
Kudos: 40





	Pride is Something Learned

**Author's Note:**

> Hey y’all,  
> First IT fic, I wanna try this for real and I think this is kind of cute so lemme know with many comments please.  
> XX  
> T

So Eddie was doing some research in the library about medication and placebos etc. Well he runs into minimal information about the AIDS crisis. (Fuck Regan.) 

Anyway that launch’s into gay. Gay. Homosexual. And it makes sense. He didn’t know you could like boys. And there’s one boy he likes very much. 

It’s his new thing. He learns so much. There’s this thing, called Pride, and it started as a riot and this year is the twentieth anniversary. 

He wants to go. Desperately. And while he doesn’t want to tell his crush, he can’t think of anyone who will take a four hour train ride to Boston with him. 

Which is why he’s standing on Richie’s doorstep with a pizza and bottle of Pepsi as a bargaining chip. He doesn’t even mention it until Richie is on his third slice, and it’s a commercial break. 

It spills out easily. Because it’s Richie. And he loves Eddie. And perhaps not in the same way, but he does. Eddie’s hands are shaking and he’s eaten exactly two bites of one slice of pizza but by the time he’s done, Richie’s pushed his plate closer to him, the now cold pizza staring up at him. 

Eddie takes that for a no and quickly picks a piece of pepperoni off of it and shoves it into his mouth, rubbing the tips of his fingers together, spreading the grease. 

“Of course I’ll go. Now finish your half of the pizza before I eat it dickwad.” 

“Rich- I-“

“And stop talking! You’re interrupting the show.” 

Eddie smiles around his bite of pizza. 

They never get to go. It happens. And there’s no time to talk about Stonewall or Pride or AIDS or their almost kiss. 

They never mention any of those things again.  
***  
He looks good. Really, Richie barely remembered him, but the man standing in from is attractive. 

“Hey man, what’s up?” He asks, pushing his glasses up his already sweaty nose. 

To his surprise Eddie pulls him in to a hug. He’s shorter than Richie, smaller, like he always has been. It’s longer than his hug with the others, and as if 27 years haven’t passed, his feelings come rushing back. 

He- he loves this boy. This man. He didn’t know back then, however he’d had a few long term girlfriends and now he knew what Love was.  
And it washed over him like a wave and his toes curled inside his shoes and his nose tingled from cologne. 

Then Eddie moves away. Eddie drinks scotch and Richie tries not to stare, as he downs his beer. 

Everyone’s a bit tipsy and the complimentary peanuts and popcorn is running out. Bill makes the first move about leaving, and Ben follows suit. Bev is next. And Mike leaves next, nearly silently. 

Eddie is still nursing a scotch which has to be mostly melted ice by this point. Richie, the last swing of beer. “I think I’ll get another,” Eddie says gesturing to his glass, “you want something?”

Richie shook his head, “Naw, I think I’ll head back to the hotel. It’s getting late.”

Eddie presses his lips together and nods once, “Okay, well-“

“Do you wanna join me? For a drink I mean?” 

Eddie smiles slowly, “For a drink? Yeah.” 

By the time Eddie gets to Richie’s room he’s changed. He’s in soft gray joggers and a white t-shirt that pulls a little at the neck. The hairs at the nape of his neck are a little damp and he smells like aftershave. 

Richie wishes he would have thought about changing, but now it’s too late and he’s stuck in his jeans. 

“Did you bring up the booze?” Eddie asks. 

Richie swallows around his dry tongue, he hadn’t gotten there yet. He’s overwhelmed. 

“Fuck, expect me to do everything? Even after all these years? Fuck you.”

Eddie laughs,  
“What have I ever expected you to do?” 

Richie hesitates.  
“Nothing.”

It’s silent. 

“Please don’t tell me you want scotch or something boring.”

Eddie twists his mouth to the side,  
“Tequila?”

Richie chuckles,  
“Trying to get drunk or something?”

“After the night we’ve had? Absolutely.”

He follows Richie down the stairs, moving nearly silently and they end up at the bar. Richie is flipping through bottles, looking at labels when he feels hot air on the back of his neck. Eddie is still smaller than him, but leaning into his personal space. 

“You’ve become picky when it comes to booze?”

“No more picky than you’ve become with women.” 

He can nearly hear Eddie freeze. He’s unsure whether to apologize or not. Whether to admit his own sexuality or not. 

“Never made it to Pride you know? Left Derry. Left the boy I was in love with. Never let myself experiment in college. Never let my porn history stray too much. Married Myra. Now I’m here. With you. In fucking Derry of all places and everything is rushing back and I’m overwhelmed and I just have to say this before I get any more drunk but-“ 

Richie’s lips are against his. It’s different, kissing a man, it is. He smells like cologne and beer and sweat. His lips are a bit chapped and his scruffy cheeks press against Eddie’s, and his hands are gripping his shoulders. Eddie pulls away first, eyes wide, chest tight. 

“Anyone ever tell you that you talk too much?” Richie asks defensively. 

Eddie smiles, lacing his hand in Richie’s hair and pulling him slightly closer,  
“Can’t say I’ve ever lived up to that accusation,” he says, pulling Richie close to him. 

If kissings meant to feel like this then Eddie’s been missing out his whole life. He suddenly hates Pennywise even more. For making him move out of this godforsaken town and lose his memories. Lose his love. His true love. 

They’re laying in bed awhile later. They didn’t do anything but kiss, it’s too early for anything else. They’re both too scared for anything else. But they’re shirtless and Eddie’s got his head on Richie’s hairy chest and he traces over a scar on his stomach. 

“So you know, Pride’s in a couple weeks. You could come to New York. I heard it’s pretty neat,” Richie says quietly. So quiet Eddie barely hears him. 

“Are you asking me on a date dipshit?” Eddie asks with a grin.

“Suddenly I’m rescinding my offer you little prick,” Richie says, long thin fingers sliding up to tickle him. 

“Don’t!” Eddie cries. It’s unsure what he’s talking about, as he’s squirming away from the tickling, “Don’t! I want to go.” 

“Okay. Well, give me a ring when you’re in town. No need to pay for a hotel.”

“Richie?” Eddie says softly, tilting his head so he can look up. He doesn’t have his glasses on and there’s wrinkles by his eyes. “I want to go with you. I want to go back to New York with you. To Pride with you. On a date with you.” 

Richie swallows hard,  
“What? You’ve had an epiphany in the last six hours?”

“I had an epiphany twenty seven years ago. I was just never allowed to act on it.”

“Is that so?”

Eddie pulls Richie down for a kiss,  
“Let me act on it now.”


End file.
